Monday, May 30, 2011

Why Bother With A Stained Glass Grinder?

One of the most frequent questions that newbies to stained glass ask is, why bother with a stained glass grinder?

We know that in the past stained glass grinders were not a real necessity.

Ancient artisans were able to create stained glass projects without the aid of a stained glass grinder so why do modern artisans need one?

The answer is time and accuracy.

Ancient artisans had nothing but time on their side. Everything had to be done by hand.

It took much longer for them to create the beautiful stained glass projects that we so treasure today than it takes for modern artisans to do the same project.

Tiffany lamps especially required a great deal of time and expertise to construct.

When you begin the process of making any stained glass project, you'll quickly find that the edges of the glass are very sharp and that stained glass doesn’t usually break in a straight line.

Even when you make the most accurate score possible, it has minimal importance because most types of glass will still not break perfectly.

The edges of the stained glass cut still remain sharp or jagged and will require smoothing in order to fit together accurately.

Ancient artisans smoothed the glass edges by hand in order to obtain a perfect fit and without the aid of electric grinders, this took a considerable amount of time.

This is why a stained glass grinder is so important in modern day stained glass construction.

Although glass grinders were not really a necessary tool in the past, today almost all of us who create stained glass projects use a glass grinder of some sort to make the job easier and save time.

It is possible to create stained glass projects without using a grinder, and many modern artisans do.

However, if you are new to stained glass you will find that even though a glass grinder is perhaps one the most expensive tools you will purchase, it is the most important if you plan to make professional looking projects in a minimal amount of time.

Buying a glass grinder is an important decision, especially if you plan on mass producing stained glass suncatchers or wall hangings.

Whether or not you decide to buy a Grinder is a decision that will determine if you’re going to create beautiful professional looking stained glass projects or just pump out "run of the mill" suncatchers and wall hangings.

Why bother with a stained glass grinder? Why not?

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Stained Glass Grinders Are For Creative Artisans

Stained glass grinders are for creative artisans who like the idea of quickly putting their works in front of a lot of people.

Instead of spending so much time meticulously cutting each and every piece by hand, most creative artisans opt for stained glass grinders that do the job faster and better.

When you started out working with your stained glass suncatcher project, I'm sure you probably spent a great deal of time learning how to cut your glass pieces precisely so they would match your project pattern exactly.

This is a tedious time consuming process for patient people and I'm not one of them!

Needles to say, many an enthusiast has become frustrated or has totally lost interest in creating stained glass suncatchers because of the hard work that precise cutting entails.

If only they would have purchased a stained glass grinder, they could have enjoyed positive results and continued on with their craft.

Stained glass grinders easily take bits of extra glass from your cuts and give your pieces the smooth even edge that creative artisans strive to achieve. They give you much more control over your solder lines and provide you with a more professional looking finished piece.

Every stained glass project that you make is essentially a jigsaw puzzle.

If the finished "puzzle" is to look like the picture from your pattern, each of the individual pieces that you cut must be precise in order to fit exactly.

Pieces that are not exact when foiled and soldered together will give the finished project uneven solder lines and an amateurish looking appearance.

Exactly cut pieces when foiled and soldered together give the finished project a professional looking appearance with even solder lines.

Except for a glass ring saw or a band saw, nothing beats stained glass grinders for achieving the perfect cuts that are needed by creative artisans to produce their professional looking finished projects.

Stained glass grinders come in many sizes and their prices vary according to quality and how hard they are to be used.

The links below will provide you with a good cross section of manufacturers along with their suggested retail prices.

Inland Impulse Touch Top Grinder


Inland Wiz Cg Grinder


Wizard Iv Grinder


Glastar Super Star II Grinder


Glastar G-9 Disc Grinder


Glastar All Star G8 Grinder


Delphi Ez-pro 6 Flat Disc Grinder


Glastar G-14 Diamond Star Grinder


Glastar G-15 Bevel Star Grinding And Polishing System


Diamond Max Deluxe Grinder


Diamond Max Deluxe Grinder


Power Max II Grinder


Inland Swap Top Grinder


Wizling Cg Grinder


Inland Areo Grinder


Power Max II Deluxe Grinder


Stained glass grinders are for creative artisans who want a full time assistant that will save them time and consistently provide them with professional looking stained glass suncatcher projects for commercial consumption.